The Mobile Telephone System

Mobile telephone service (MTS) connects mobile radio telephones with other networks like public switched telephone networks (PSTN), other mobile telephones and communication systems like Internet.

Basic Mobile Communications System

Mobile phones and other mobile devices, called mobile stations are connected to base stations. Communication between the mobile stations and the base stations are done by wireless radio signals, which may be both data signals and voice signals. Each base station has a coverage area around it, such that mobile stations within this area can connect provided they have access permissions. Base stations contain transmitters and receivers to convert radio signals to electrical signals and vice versa. Base stations transmit the message in form of electrical signals to the mobile switching center (MSC). MSCs are connected to other MSCs and public networks like PSTNs.

The system is diagrammatically shown as follows −

Generations of Mobile Phone Systems

• 1G (First Generation) − They were standards for analog voice mobile phone communications.

• 2G(Second Generation) − They were standards for digital voice mobile phone communications.

• 3G(Third Generation) − These standards were for communications in form of both digital voice as well as digital data.

• 4G(Fourth Generation) − 4G standards provide mobile broadband internet access in addition to digital voice and data.

• 5G(Fifth Generation) − It is the next step of mobile communication standards beyond 4G which currently under development.